In the construction of buildings, it is conventional to provide the foundation or footings in an inverted T-shape comprising a footing base and an upstanding sidewall. The foundation is laid out is the desired pattern to provide the needed support for the remainder of the building. Typically, the layout of the foundation conforms to the general outline of the outer walls of the building. The footing base is designed to lie under the level of the ground and building's upstanding side walls are mounted onto the footing base.
Typically, both the footing base and the upstanding sidewalls are formed of concrete. In order to comply with load-bearing requirements imposed by engineering principles and municipal regulations, the footing base is typically much wider than the thickness of the upstanding sidewalls.
It has been conventional practice to first pour the footing base to the desired width and allow the footing base to cure. The framing for the upstanding sidewalls is then configured around the footing base and concrete is poured into the framing to form the upstanding sidewalls to the desired height and thickness. Because the upstanding sidewalls are not formed at the same time as the footing base, it is conventional to utilize reinforcing rods that are embedded in the footing base when the footing base is poured and extend upwardly therefrom. The concrete forming the upstanding sidewalls then sets up and encompasses the reinforcing rods and secures the upstanding sidewalls to the footing base.
There have been many proposals to pour the footing base and the upstanding sidewalls in a single pour to effect an integral foundation and thus eliminate the need for reinforcing rods. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,724 (Peterson), the footing base is shaped by a pair of parallel spaced panels which rest on edge on the ground and are spaced apart the width of the desired footing base. The upstanding walls are formed by a similar pair of parallel spaced panels positioned inwardly and above the footing base panels since the upstanding wall is typically more narrow than the footing base. The relative positions of the footing base panels and the upstanding wall panels are maintained by a "jury structure" that is typically expensive and time-consuming to install. The jury structure is generally formed of wood and nails.
The Peterson patent describes a holding frame that is used to maintain the relative positions of the footing base panels and the upstanding wall panels. This configuration joins the left side and right side braces by means of a holding frame that includes a pivoted connection. The Peterson configuration nevertheless suffers from the drawback of having the braces permanently interconnected by the holding frame. If the holding frame is assembled off of the job site, then the exact dimensions and parameters of the foundation must be predetermined. If the holding frame is assembled at the job site, then the attachment of the holding frame may be a tedious and time-consuming operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,852 to Lundell shows another apparatus that is proposed for forming the footing base and the upstanding sidewalls in a single pour. The base of the foundation is formed by digging a hole in the ground at the location where the base is to be poured. Arranged above the hold are a pair of wall forming frame sections which are supported laterally by vertically rising brace members. The tops of the brace members are connected by strap elements. Lundell provides a leveling arrangement utilizing cranks to accommodate height variations in the level of the ground on each side of the hole dug to receive the base of the foundation.
Lundell does not provide a system that can be used if wooden frames are desired to shape both the base portion and the wall portion of the foundation. The crank arrangement increases the complexity of the work required in the field and complicates what should otherwise be a straightforward and simple operation. Lundell's apparatus necessitates the use of more highly skilled employees than would be required by the use of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a concrete brace that can be used to integrally join the footing base to the upstanding sidewalls in a single pour.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a concrete brace made of angle iron in a generally L-shaped configuration. The brace is used in combination with a like brace oriented in a mirror image to the first brace and connected by means of a cross strap.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the concrete brace is easily connected to the wooden frames that will shape the concrete on the job site.